The Power Of Listening

The Greek Stoic philosopher Epictetus explained it nicely: We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak. 

Listen more attentively to the needs of your clients.

By learning to listen you learn to ask great questions. And by asking the right questions you will likely get great answers. The right answers. 

So when you listen, listen. Don’t just hear your client out. Be sure that you hear what is being said. Being able to repeat what your potential client just said is not good enough. You have to demonstrate that you understood what they said and why they said it. If you don’t understand, ask questions until you do and then repeat what they said in your own words to demonstrate your understanding. 

It might seem a bit silly to say something like, “What I hear you saying is…” or “I think that what you are trying to communicate is…” but if you try this a few times, it will become a natural part of your engagement with people.

Ask the right questions the right way. Ask open-ended questions that encourage them to speak freely. The more they talk, the more comfortable they will get with you and the more relevant information you will gather. Chances are excellent that if you really hear what he or she is saying you will understand the person’s real intentions and motivations. 

It will also build trust. If you reflect back to people what you think they said, they know that you have been listening to them. The more they feel heard, the more they will trust (and like) you. 

He who answers a matter before he hears it is not wise. 

This probably goes without saying, now that you have read this short blog, but... Don’t interrupt. Do not just jump in there and start telling the client what they need. Nothing tells your client that you are not interested in them more than when you cut them off mid-sentence or talk over them when they are speaking. You may know more about a topic than they do, but if you disregard what they have to say by cutting them off or cutting them short, you have likely lost them. 

Instead, pause for two to three seconds after someone is done speaking and watch their face for signs of engagement, interest, or disinterest. Begin speaking only when you are sure they are listening.
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Then hopefully your client, or prospective client, will listen properly to you too.